Think Like Me, It'll Come To You
by Lady Puffazee
Summary: (3/3) Here it is! The last of my little series! Will Hermione say yes? Will Severus mellow out a little? Will Narcissa and Hermione become closer? Read and find out! As stated before, if you don't like Hermione/Severus pairing don't read, also this is rated for safety. Thanks to everyone who has been following this, I hope you like it! Please review!


**Authors note: This is the epilogue to "Proof That Stubbornness Is A Skill". If you haven't read "They Can Have Their Fancy Stuff" or "Proof That Stubbornness Is A Skill" then I highly recommend that you do and in that order or else the majority of the events might not make sense. This is quite long, the timeline jumps quite a bit and I might return to elaborate on certain events later on but for now I just wanted to get this written. I hope that you enjoy it and I also hope that there aren't too many typos or mistakes, I don't have a beta so those are my bad. I have done my best to have it in ship shape. Please leave me a review; they let me know that people like reading what I'm writing.**

 _Think Like Me, It'll Come To You_

" _ **I'm still not very good with expressing myself or with words so I'm going to be traditional also short and sweet" he says, confusing me ever so slightly.**_

 _ **He glances at our Mother's briefly before looking at me again. Taking out a little black box, he lowers himself down on one knee.**_

" _ **Hermione" he begins as he reveals a ring. "Will you marry me?"**_

I stare at the most gorgeous ring that I have ever seen and instantly recognise it as Stella's engagement ring, Severus' Grandmother's. Out of the corner of my eye, I see our Mother's waiting for my answer with baited breath. But I can only look at Severus, at the sincere expression on his face, this man who let me into his life when he didn't have too, who trusts me and loves me. Looking at him there was only one thing that I could possibly say…

Summoning all the breath that I can manage, I smile lovingly and softly say, "Yes."

His eyes fill with hope, "Yes?" he asks.

I nod, my smile growing, "Yes!"

He blinks, a smile forming on his own face before he wraps his arms around my waist and swings me around, both of us laughing happily. When he puts me down, he slides the ring onto my finger, holding it still for a moment while it magically resizes so that it's comfortable to wear.

It doesn't take long before our Mother's interrupt our little moment, pulling us into a group hug and talking a mile a minute about dresses and traditions.

Feeling overwhelmed I squirm out of the crushing hug, saying, "Wow! Hold on, we have been engaged for about forty-five seconds. Can we just enjoy this before you start becoming wedding planner monsters?"

They visibly calm themselves saying, "Sorry sweetheart" in unison.

I laugh and shake my head, admiring my ring again as Severus wraps an arm around my waist and kisses my cheek. Mum awe's while Eileen takes a picture with her small wizarding camera. Having heard the commotion, the elves show up and upon seeing the ring, come up to us and congratulate us, welcoming me into the family at the same time.

The rest of the night is spent in celebration, the portraits elated with a new member of the Prince/Snape family. But for me, besides becoming engaged, the best moment of the night was when Severus and I said that we wanted to have the wedding at Prince Manor. The look of pure joy on the faces of the house elves, when we asked if they would help with the decorations, the ceremony, and the food, is something that I will remember always.

O~O~O

The next morning, once I've had my coffee, I agree to discuss wedding plans, my subtle motion to Maisy to ask for more coffee making Eileen roll her eyes and makes Maisy smile knowingly at me.

Mum starts, "Eileen and I were chatting" she begins.

"Of course you were" I say, but she just ignores me.

"And we thought that it might be nice to incorporate family traditions on both sides" she finishes.

Severus and I share a look and nod together. Eileen takes out a planning book and a quill and motions to me.

I think for a moment before answering, "Well, the biggest thing for me it the lucky rhyme."

Mum nods but Eileen and Severus look lost. Asking us to explain with their expressions, Mum lets me do the explaining.

"It's a list of things for the bride to bring her luck on her wedding day" I say, relieving their confusion. "So the rhyme is… something old, something new, something borrowed something blue, and a penny in her shoe."

"Oh, that sounds sweet" Eileen remarks. "Any idea of what is what?"

I take a sip of my second cup of coffee and reply, "The something old is the necklace that you gave me for Christmas Eileen. The something new is the dress, I really want to choose my own dress, the something blue is my garter, the penny is meant to be given to me and I'm not sure about the borrowed."

Mum pipes up, "I'd like to let you borrow my veil darling."

I grin, having always admired her veil, "Yes please Mum, your veil is so pretty" I say, before turning to Eileen. "It has this beautiful rose design in the lace. The lace goes around the edge of the veil; I always loved looking at it as a kid."

Eileen smiles at my sudden bubbliness before a bright expression comes over her own face, which could only mean that she's had a 'lightbulb' moment.

"One moment, I'll be back" she says with a grin before running off to who knows where.

Confused I look to my left, "Sev? Do you know what her thought was?"

Sipping his own coffee, he gives a small smile, "I have a few guesses but I'm sure you'll find out in a few seconds love."

I'm about to ask what he means but then I hear her footsteps and Eileen comes back into the room and sits back down as if she had never left, with all the house elves coming in after her.

Maisy leads them as they come around to me, "Mistress Eileen says that we can give this to you to bring you good fortune on your wedding day Miss Hermione" she says adorably.

I tilt my head as they pass something small to each other before it reaches Maisy and she turns back to me, "What is it?" I ask.

With the cutest smile on her face, Maisy opens her hand to reveal a penny.

Exclaiming softly I look at them all, "Oh, a penny to go in my shoe. Oh my goodness thank you!"

Beaming smiles on all their faces, I'm handed the penny, "We found it in the Gardens Miss, it must have been thrown over the wall, or maybe it was washed down in the stream but when Mistress Eileen saw it, she thought you might like it. Now it turns out that it can bring you luck!" she says excitedly.

"Thank you so much!" I say again, giving it to Mum so she can have a look. "Can I hug you all?" I ask, really wanting to show them just how much it means to me. They nodded and I was so happy to be able to give them all a cuddle before they went back to whatever they had been doing, waving as they left.

Mum grins, "So cute!"

Eileen nods in agreement and makes a few more notes, "So that's everything. We won't talk about your dress with Severus here, no offence my darling." When Severus smiles but nods, she continues, "I'm hoping that you're not going to want this wedding in a few weeks but I would love to throw you an engagement party."

Seeing my hesitation, Severus jumps into the conversation, "I know I have been sitting quietly over here but I do believe that you're letting your excitement get away from you Mother. We love you but why not give us a few days before we dive into all the tiny details?"

Looking ever so slightly sheepish, she closes the book, places the quill on top and pushes it away from her, "I'm sorry my little Prince, Hermione, I'll take a step back…but in a few days we can start planning your engagement party, can't we?" she asks hopefully, which instantly makes Mum throw her head back and let out a giant laugh.

O~O~O

 **3 Days Later**

I sigh as the sun warms my face, tilting my chin upwards so that my hair falls behind me. True to her word, Eileen allowed Severus and I to just relax and just the enjoy the fact that we are preparing for the next stage in our lives together for a few days. An emergency caused Severus to be called back to Hogwarts early, something went wrong with a shipment of potions ingredients and they needed him to sort things out. Obviously he went, after I assured him that I would be fine, and he promised to let me know if he could come back to Prince Manor or if he would have to stay at Hogwarts until the new term starts by the end of the day.

"Hermione?" I hear Eileen and Mum call out at the same time.

The unison of their voices makes me smile, it's like they're sisters with how they act. "Over here" I reply, alerting them to my place on the grass. As they reach the top of the courtyard steps, I wave to further let them know of where I am and they make their way over with smiles of their own.

They sit down beside me, both giving me excited expressions. "Pretty please?" they ask together.

I laugh at their expressions and nod, "Sure, let's do some planning."

Eileen looks thrilled, "Fabulous! Have you and Severus decided on a date?"

I nod, "We thought, since it's almost New Year's Eve that we would get married in June, in between school terms so that we could go on a two month honeymoon."

Mum and Eileen nod at the logic and their excitement grows at having a timeline, "When should we have the engagement party?" Mum asks. "It might be smart to have it before school goes back, or else you and Severus will have too much on your plates."

I think for a moment, "That will have to depend on the ingredients emergency at Hogwarts and whether or not Severus will be able to come back before the start of term or not."

"Drats" she replies. "Forgot about that."

Eileen winks at me, "It's alright Sienna, I almost forgot too" she says.

"Well we'll know by the end of the day, so how about we discuss the guest list for the engagement party?" I offer, knowing that I want to control that.

Eileen hums, "It would be best to give a statement and photograph to the Daily Prophet so that they don't stick their noses in the party" she begins and continues at my nod. "The best way is to give it to them at the end of the day, right before the party starts, so that they don't have enough time to get a reporter to hound you on the details."

"That sounds smart" I agree.

Mum looks thoughtful, "Who would you like to invite sweetie?" she asks.

I think for a moment before answering, "I'd like to invite: Harry, Ginny, I don't mind if they bring James and Albus, Molly, Arthur, George, Angelina, Percy, Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Ron, Susan, Luna, Neville, Narcissa, Draco, Astoria since I know she's dating Draco, Blaise because I know he's one of the few friends that Draco has left and he is an alright person to talk to, any of the Hogwarts staff that would like to come, and that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I want to run the list by Severus first, to make sure that he's okay with it and to see if he wants to add anyone."

Eileen nods with every name I say, smiling on a few, "Alright, I have all those names down and will leave a copy on the table for you to give Severus."

"Thanks Eileen that would be great" I say in response. Casting a quick tempus charm I make a face of surprise as I stand. "I need to go if I'm going to meet Narcissa on time."

They nod at me, knowing that I had arranged to meet with the older witch yesterday. "I would recommend a rather strong and long lasting concealment charm on your ring so that word doesn't get out" Eileen suggests.

Mum looks worried as she says, "But what about everyone else? We can't just give the invitations on the day. Do they have a spell on them or something that stops people from telling?"

Eileen nods, "Yes they do, and it's something that we have to do. Molly Weasley is a sweetheart and would mother the whole world if she could but she would be the first to want to inform as many people as possible. So yes, the invitations will have several charms so that no one can share news about the engagement."

"She means well" I add, "But she can get ahead of herself. I'm going to duck up to the house, change clothes and cast the charm, and then you two can tell me if it's strong enough."

They nod in unison again and gesture for me to go. Strolling back up to the house, I grin as I hear some fairies arguing in the roses. I take the stairs two at a time, smiling at the elves as I go, and finally reach my room. Feeling upbeat about today's lovely weather, I choose to wear a halter-necked, floor length casual dress, allowing my hair to stay down and flow around my face. A pair of sandals and a small bag and I'm ready. I cast the concealment charm on my ring as I go back down the stairs. Mum and Eileen fuss over me for a minute and assure me that the charm is working before I wave and apparate to Diagon Alley.

I arrive in the apparition zone of Diagon Alley and begin to make my way to the bookstore that we agreed to meet at. Walking closer I see Narcissa waiting for me, looking elegant as usual.

Ignoring the looks heading my way I call out to get her attention, "Narcissa!"

She turns and gives me a small smile as she walks towards me, hugging me in greeting. "How are you Hermione?"

"I'm well thank you. How are you and Draco?"

We walk side by side down the alley, never intending to stay. "Better than I could have hoped, re-decorating the Manor has helped us keep our minds occupied. Draco has also been with Astoria and Blaise and judging by the smiles he has on his face when he comes home, that has been good for him too. He's with Astoria today, on a picnic I believe."

"On a day like today, that sounds like it will be beautiful" I reply, happy that they have positivity in their lives. Reaching the apparition point again, we leave for Black Manor, arriving in the main hallway and heading into the newly decorated seating area where Winky brings us some iced chocolate to drink while we chat.

"I must admit, I was pleasantly surprised when you asked to chat with me Hermione" she confesses, taking a sip from her drink and thanking Winky before she leaves.

I take a sip from my own drink before answering, "Severus means a lot to me and you and Draco mean a lot to him. I'd like to hope that we could be friends."

A soft smile spreads over her face, "I'd like that too."

We sit in silence for a while before I speak again, "There was another thing that I wanted to tell you. Severus wanted to tell you as well but he was called back to Hogwarts."

"Oh?" she asks, her curiosity growing at the twinkle in my eyes.

I smile and remove the concealment charm on my ring, her eyes widening as she realises. I nod to confirm her unspoken guess, "Severus proposed, we're getting married!" I exclaim.

"Ahh!" she exclaims, standing and dragging me along with her, embracing me with a strong grip. I laugh, returning her hug as we hear three sets of footsteps running in our direction.

"Mother, are you alright?" I hear Draco ask, clearly worried.

She lets me go but stills holds my hands as she turns, smiling to Draco, Astoria and Winky, "I'm perfectly fine dear" she says before turning back to me and hugging me again.

"Mistress?" Winky asks softly.

Narcissa looks to me and I turn so the three of them to see my ring, "Severus and I are getting married!" I repeat happily.

There is a beat of silence before Astoria steals me out of Narcissa's arms and drags me into a hug of her own. I return it, ecstatic that her response is positive.

"Oh my gosh!" she exclaims, "Hermione this is amazing news, I'm so happy for you both!"

"Thank you Astoria, that means a lot, it really does" I reply as she lets me go, allowing me to breathe again.

Draco's expression is a little hard to read but he too, gives me a hug and whispers, "Congratulations, I know you two will be very happy."

"Thank you Draco" I reply as we pull apart. I kneel down as I notice Winky's curiosity and she happily comes closer to me so that she can see my ring.

"Oh your ring is very lovely Miss. Very lovely" she says politely but I can see the sincerity on her face. I smile at her as she curtseys and leaves the four of us in the room.

The second I stand up, both Narcissa and Astoria have grabbed my hand to look at the ring in more detail, causing Draco to chuckle. "It's so elegant!" Astoria exclaims.

Narcissa nods, "Very much so, it looks quite old too."

I nod as well, "It was Severus' Grandmother's ring. Stellana Prince" I confirm as they turn my hand so that the can see the ring from all different angles.

Once they're satisfied, Draco too takes my hand gently and has his own turn to look, "It suits you Hermione" he admits, causing me to beam with happiness.

"I really hope that I can get the chance to get to know you and Astoria better" I tell him. "I know that it might take a little while but I honestly believe that we could be friends."

Draco looks at the ring for another second before looking into my eyes, "You want to be my friend after the hell I put you through at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, I do" I reply simply. "We were both blinded by prejudice but when it came down to the important things, you acted out of protection. I know that you knew it was Harry that day, even though I had jinxed his face, and yet you didn't tell your Aunt. You bought us enough time to figure out a plan Draco, and it's those moments that I would rather remember" I finish softly.

He's once again quiet for a moment before answering, "I never thought I would hear you mention her" he says.

I place my hand on top of his, "Bellatrix, Draco. Her name is Bellatrix and she is your Aunt" I say very matter of fact.

"But-"he begins, although I interrupt.

"Draco, she's your Aunt and I have a feeling that she wasn't always so eccentric" I tell him. "I'm sorry that you lost her, I really am."

He nods slowly, seeming as though a weight was beginning to lift, "Friends in progress then?" he asks, his signature smirk appearing.

"There's the Draco I remember, yes friends in progress" I reply as we shake on it in mock seriousness, making Astoria giggle quietly.

Narcissa gets our attention, "Shall we sit?" she offers, and as we all sit again, I feel her squeeze my hand gently, a soft smile on her face although she doesn't say anything. I return her smile as Astoria practically bounces in excitement.

"Are you and Severus going to have an engagement party?" she asks, bringing the conversation to a happier topic.

"Yes we are, the three of you should receive your invitations soon, once we sort out the guest list and when we want to have it. It all depends on when Sev gets back from Hogwarts and if he gets back" I answer.

"Did something happen?" Draco asks, looking a little worried.

I allay his fears when I tell him, "Just some potions ingredients that someone didn't pack properly. He said he would send an owl later today to let us know if he would be able to come back to Prince Manor before the term starts."

He nods and Astoria pipes up again, "Any chance that you'll tell us a bit about the wedding?"

Narcissa laughs at her excitement while I think about it, "Well it wouldn't hurt to tell you that it will be at Prince Manor just like the engagement party, Eileen is thrilled at that, but I don't really know what else to say" I tell her honestly.

Narcissa turns to me after placing her glass down, "Have you thought about your dress?"

I blush slightly and nod which in turn makes Narcissa and Astoria go on full alert. Draco smiles behind his own drink, "Look out Hermione" he warns. "You're about to get ambushed."

My eyes widen and the two witches inch closer to me and my brain goes into complete and utter overdrive until I think of the perfect solution. "Wait" I urge, "Hear me out before you two start."

They nod carefully and I silently hope that I'm not creating a monster, "What if" I begin, "The three of you, as well as Winky, come and stay in Prince Manor for a while. The school term doesn't start for another month, you would be able to not be around the cleaning fumes that I know this house needs, no offence" I quickly add. At Narcissa's 'none taken' gesture I continue, "It would allow Eileen to have even more people to fuss over, Draco can spend plenty of time with Severus without having to go to the school grounds, and you two can join forces with my Mum and Eileen in helping Sev and I plan everything. And as a bonus, Winky will be there too. I know the elves that are already there will love having visitors but they would also like having another elf around who already knows what you do and don't like" I finish.

I take a much needed breath and wait while they consider my proposal, taking the time to send a patronus as well (just to double check that I haven't overstepped any boundaries of course).

Astoria is the first to speak, "Really? You'll let us help you with the wedding?!"

I nod, "I know that Ginny and Molly might be a little put out but they have their own lives and I know that they don't have the time to help. It's going to be tricky enough just making sure that they don't tell the 'Daily Prophet'."

Narcissa waves he hand dismissively, "Prevention charms on the invitations will stop that."

I take a sip from my drink as Eileen's swan patronus appears before me, the bird spreads its wings, its beak opens, and Eileen's voice comes out, "Severus is back and we expect you all by dinner sweetheart" before it disappears gracefully.

"Wow" Astoria remarks, "Was that Severus's Mother?" she asks, with an awed expression.

"Yes, that was Eileen and it sounds as though she is now expecting us" I reply, shaking my head in disbelief.

Narcissa smiles, "Well than it's obvious that we have some packing to do. Draco dear, go and pack a trunk or two, Astoria darling, you and Hermione can pack your things" she says and we all nod, accepting our orders. "I'm going to inform Winky and then pack myself. How about we meet back here in an hour? Then we can go by floo."

O~O~O

A few weeks later and I find myself looking into a floor length mirror. My hair has been curled and piled on top of my head, a few tendrils framing my face. My makeup is subtle but effective, complimenting my lilac one shoulder dress perfectly. My dress has a fitted bodice with a simple lace design and the material flows off my hips, gently flowing as I walk.

I'm broken from my thoughts when someone knocks on the door, "Hermione?" I hear Draco ask.

"Come in" I call out as I smooth away invisible creases.

"Not bad Granger" he teases gently, making me roll my eyes but smile all the same. Since he, Narcissa and Astoria have been spending almost all their time in Prince Manor, we have managed to move past all that happened at school and often have playful banters.

"Sod off Ferret" I reply, although I say the words without any malice. "I'm guessing that everybody's here then?"

He nods, his expression becoming a little less playful, "Nervous?"

I turn around to face him, "Very" I reply easily.

He tilts his head, "Why?"

I sigh, "I'm just worried that Severus and I are going to be interrogated about everything. I don't mind people offering ideas or themes but…" I trail off.

"You already have four wedding planners and don't want anymore" he finishes for me.

I nod glumly. "Does that make me a bad person? I-I-I just want to be able to plan my own wedding with who I want, what if Molly and Ginny get upset about me not telling them?"

He walks towards me and lifts up my left hand and brings my ring close to my face, "Last time I checked" he begins. "This ring was given to you by Severus, not the weasel. It doesn't matter if they want to plan your wedding because your Mother and Eileen have first dibs, and really, unless you ask for their opinion it is none of their business."

I bite my bottom lip, listening to his logic before finally nodding. He graces me with a small smile and offers me his arm. I slip my hand into the crook of his elbow and allow him to lead me out of the room I had been hiding in. He leads me down the stairs where Astoria is waiting for us.

"Oh Hermione, you look beautiful" she compliments, taking in the dress and smiling when I do a little twirl for her.

"Thank you Astoria, you and Draco go in, I'll be right behind you" I say, urging them to go into the ballroom.

After they go inside, I allow myself to take one last deep breath, before I enter the room as well, the last to arrive. All eyes turn to me and Severus comes up, stroking my cheek and taking my hand. I smile up at him and kiss him in the doorway, not caring about the audience, and then walk with him to see Minerva and our other colleagues that were able to make it while everyone else returns to their conversations, knowing that we will walk around the room and speak to everyone.

"Hello Minerva, I'm glad you were able to make it" I greet, embracing the older witch.

She smiles at me, a tear in her eye, "It is such a joy to see the two of you starting a new life together. Heavens knows that you both deserve it."

Severus wraps an arm around me, "Thank you Minerva" he replies.

We talk to our colleagues for a few more minutes before we move to the next set of guests, The Blacks.

"Severus" Narcissa greets, hugging him in a show of affection that I have only ever seen her show Draco. "Everything looks fabulous" she says before turning to me. "Hermione you look lovely, that dress is quite stylish, where did you get it?" she asks.

I blush slightly at her compliment, "My Mother made it actually. Eileen found the fabric that I wanted and Mum spend a week making it, she used to make dresses when she was a teenager and jumped at the chance to make this when we couldn't find one we liked in the stores" I explain to her surprised expression.

"How wonderful, she clearly knows what she's doing" she replies.

"Thank you Narcissa, that's very sweet of you to say" I tell her, giving her a quick hug.

Her expression is one of shock for a short moment before she once again composes herself and offers me a smile as Draco and Severus have a quiet chat, ending with them sharing a hug with smiles on both their faces.

The older witch looks thoughtful before asking, "You seem nervous, are you alright?"

I see Severus looking at me from the corner of my eye as I answer, "A little, I'm just worried that Molly and Ginny are going to make a fuss at not being involved. I've seen how they get and I really don't want to be on the receiving end."

Severus, having heard me, wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to his side. I rest my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes for a moment.

"Everything will be fine" he murmurs into my hair.

I nod and when I open my eyes, Narcissa delicately shoos us in the direction of the Potters and Weasleys. I sigh softly before walking over with Severus.

Molly is the first to come to us, hugging us both at the same time, "I'm so happy for you two!" she exclaims. Once she lets us go, everyone else takes turns at hugging me and shaking Sev's hand and congratulating us. Even Susan gives me a hug.

"Congratulations Hermione, I'm so happy for you" she tells me with a smile.

"Thank you Susan" I reply.

Ron gives me a brief, slightly awkward hug and mumbles a quick congratulations before Sev brings me back to my favourite spot at his side.

Ginny is the first to bring up the topic that I had been dreading, "How come you didn't tell us Mione?"

I sigh, "Ginny, what was I supposed to do? You and Harry are busy 24/7 with the boys."

She frowns, "But still, we're friends, I thought you'd want my help with planning."

I give her a deadpan expression, "Ginny look around. I already have four wedding planners, and they're all staying here. I'm getting asked questions at all times of the day and I'm already in trouble because I don't know who I want as my maid of honour. As I already said, you and Harry are busy with your sons and you hate being away from Albus. Even if you had found out before receiving an invitation, what would you have been able to do?"

She and Molly for that manner give me sheepish expressions, "Sorry Mione" Ginny says. "You have a point, I wouldn't be much help, I'd be too worried about the boys."

Preventing any further possible conflict, Severus speaks up, "Thank you for understanding Mrs Potter, Mrs Weasley, it wasn't our intention to cause you any offence."

Fleur speaks up too, her accent as melodious as ever, "It is so good that this was all sorted out. I can see where you two were coming from Molly and Ginny, however as Hermione has said, she already has four wedding planners and she doesn't need any more." I smile my thanks to the blonde and she winks in return.

"I do believe" Severus begins, "That Dinner is about to be served."

O~O~O

 **6 months later**

Two days, I'm getting married in two days. Letting out the breath I had been holding, I admire my wedding dress. As per the tradition, Sev won't see it until the ceremony and also won't see me until the ceremony. Why the 24 hours was extended to 48 I'm not sure.

My dress, currently on a mannequin, is pearl white, has three quarter length satin sleeves with a small trim of lace at its end, and is off the shoulder with a sweetheart neckline. A fitted bodice before it flows with sheer satin at my hips. The bodice decorated with a delicate crystals, but only when the light hits it do you realise that the crystals form a design of roses. It has a barely noticeable train but that was just a personal decision. Mums' veil will be held on my head by an elaborate crown of white roses. My bouquet is comprised of white roses and blue forget-me-knots.

I know from Eileen that Severus will be wearing a white dress shirt with a black vest, jacket, slacks and shoes. The fabric of the jacket, vest and slacks all have a dark blue undertone and his hair, since he doesn't want to cut it, will be tied back with a dark blue velvet ribbon. The jacket also has tails that will reach the backs of his knees. All together I just know that he's going to look very aristocratic.

"Hermione?" I hear from the other side of the door. Whoever it is, their voice is muffled by the door. I groan softly, I had chosen to hide in here just so I could get away from the wedding planners for a few moments to myself but I've obviously been found. "Hermione" the voice says again, "It's just me Hermione, its Draco."

I bite my lip and walk silently to the door, to open it a fraction. When I see that it is in fact just Draco, I usher him inside quickly and close the door quietly.

Turning back to my impromptu guest I ask, "Does anyone know that you're here?"

He shakes his head no, "Just wanted to make sure that you hadn't run off."

I roll my eyes at that, "The only thing I'm running from is my wedding planners" I say, moving past him to smell my bouquet again.

"Is that your dress?" Draco asks, having spotted that mannequin. I smile softly and nod. "Wow" he says, "It's beautiful."

"Thank you Draco and remember, no telling Sev" I reply.

He nods and comes to sit beside me on the couch, "Any particular reason why you need some space?"

I massage my temples as I answer, "They have everything done and so the only thing left for them to do is ask me a million times if I like what they've done and I need a break from that."

"They just want everything to be perfect for you, they're terrified that you don't like it but have said that you do just to make them happy" he says, trying to ease my apparent headache.

I sigh, trying to make the words stick into my brain. He doesn't say anything more but gives me a hug instead, a hug which I gratefully return.

"Can you talk to them please?" I ask him, not wanting to leave my haven just yet.

"Of course, just know that you'll be bombarded with apologies. I don't know if I can prevent that" he tells me, allaying my fears.

Sure enough when I finally emerge three hours later, I have apologies thrown my way from everyone. It takes me screaming, "SHUT IT!" before they finally stop and listen to me. I make them sit through a five minute scolding, which is strange for me considering the people that I'm talking to, before I agree to wipe the slate clean.

"From now until the ceremony, there is to be no more 'But are you sure you like this Hermione?' or 'Do you mean that, really Hermione?' because if I didn't like it, it wouldn't have let you do it in the first place alright?" I ask the four women in front of me.

They all nod and we move onto spending the rest of my time as an unmarried woman with spa treatments and eating whatever we want.

O~O~O

Mum walks up behind me as I stand in front of the floor length mirror, "Today's the big day honey, are you ready?"

I nod, admiring the up-do hairstyle that they gave me, and how the crown and veil look like they have been weaved into my hair. My gumdrop earrings match the gumdrop jewels on my necklace perfectly.

Astoria comes up to my side, "Okay final check, ready?" she asks.

"Ready" I reply, turning to face her.

"Something old?"

"Necklace."

"Something new?"

"Dress."

"Something borrowed?"

"Veil."

"Something blue?"

"Garter" I confirm, placing a hand on my right thigh, over the lacy slip of fabric.

"Penny in your shoe?"

"Check" I say, lifting my dress to momentarily take off my left shoe to reveal the penny before I slip my foot back in the heeled shoe and let my dress drop back into place.

"That's everything then" Astoria remarks as Mum drapes the lace veil over my face, hiding the elaborate yet natural looking makeup.

Eileen comes up to me, tears in her eyes already, "You make my baby so happy Hermione, I'm so glad you found each other."

I beam in response, "Thank you Eileen, for everything."

In the end I decided that I wanted Mum to be my maid of honour, well matron of honour as well as give me away.

So, with everything ready to go, I'm given a last hug from Eileen, Narcissa and Astoria before they go and sit in their seats.

"I love you Mummy" I say, turning to look at her.

"I love you too baby girl" she replies, taking my hand in hers.

We head towards the back of the house, to Severus.

O~O~O

The music begins and Mum and I begin our trek down the aisle, I look up to see Severus looking so handsome it nearly hurts to look at him. I vaguely see Draco by his side as best man but I only have eyes for Sev. His smile is big and clear, his eyes full of love. The fact that he's showing his emotions to everyone here only intensifies my own overflowing feelings.

Reaching Severus Mum places my hand in his, "Take care of my baby Severus, not even Eileen can save you if you don't" she quietly threatens.

Without looking away from me he says, "You have my word."

Satisfied, she nods and takes her place beside Draco, the blue of her halter neck dress matching the forget-me-knots of my bouquet perfectly, as well as complementing Draco's suit.

I never look away from his eyes once the ceremony starts, the whole thing going by in a blur. The key moments however, I will never forget. The vows, where we chose to write own, the emotion with which we both delivered them, and of course the 'I do's'.

Seeing the conviction in his eyes and hearing him say "I do" proudly in his deep baritone voice, there are no words to describe it.

The rings we chose for each other are simple yet refined platinum, rings that we couldn't get on our fingers quick enough.

Once the vows, the 'I do's' and the rings are done, I'm tempted to ignore everyone if I don't hear those purely magical words fast enough. But of course, having probably sensed our impatience the next words we hear are,

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may raise the veil and kiss the bride."

After raising my veil, he cups my face like I'm the most precious thing in the world and we share our first kiss as a married couple.

"Announcing Mr Severus and Mrs Hermione Snape!"

Cheers erupt from all around us and when we turn to face them, we're showered with petals as we walk back down the aisle, our arms wrapped around each other.

O~O~O

The reception kicks off without a hitch, our first dance couldn't have been better, and dancing with our Mothers was equally as amazing. The food, music, company and general night couldn't have been more perfect and I make sure to tell my wedding planners that. The elves were ecstatic to have so many people to cater for which in itself was a wonderful thing to behold.

But nothing could compare being in Severus' arms and knowing that I was now his wife and he was now my husband. I must have spaced out while staring at Sev speak to Narcissa because the next thing I know, I'm being poked in the ribs.

"Ah!" I exclaim, spinning around to see Eileen with a cheeky grin. "Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you."

She waves my apology away, "You didn't know I was here. I just wanted to talk to you before you're swept away by my son" she tells me.

I hold her hands as we talk, wanting her to know that I'm here for her. "Is it strange to not be the only Mrs Snape now?"

She chuckles and shakes her head, "Is it strange to now _be_ Mrs Severus Snape?"

I give her a peaceful smile, "It's not strange at all."

She beams at my words, touching my arm before deciding to sweep me into a hug instead. When we part, she links her arm with mine and we head over to the drink table.

"You know" she begins, "One of the things about your relationship with my little prince that means the most to me is actually the response from my family."

Knowing she means the portraits, I carefully guess, "They weren't too happy that you married a muggle were they?"

She nods in confirmation, "My father cut me off completely but I later found out that it was my Mother that stopped him from removing all traces of me."

I take the offered drink from her, elf-made wine and take a sip, "I remember Stella saying how she found Muggleborns interesting" I offer.

She winks at me, "That's exactly why. She remembered that before it was considered wrong to do so, many Pureblood families had investments in the Muggle world, the Prince family included. She was the only one who kept an open mind and when I had Severus, she was determined to get me back. I've been told that it caused quite a scandal at first, the perfect Pureblood wife rebelling against her husband. But even my Father slowly came around, even if it was just the fact that I had had a son."

"So did come back here after your husband died?" I asked, trying to keep the resentment out of my voice. I may have not liked what I've heard of the man but obviously Eileen loved him.

She smiles, memories clearly rushing through her head, "Yes. At that time, we had nothing, it was all gone. Severus had begun his apprenticeship and wasn't talking to me, and my neighbours had no idea what to say to me" she tells me. "It was Severus' idea to get in touch with my Mother, he'd found out a lot about them during his apprenticeship and had come to me."

Intrigued I ask, "What did he say?"

She sips her own drink, "Well the first thing was 'I'm sorry Mum' and I was just happy to be able to hold him again. Then he inquired about my family and I told him everything. Upon his turn, he informed me that my Mother had been causing quite a stir, saying that Severus, although he was a half-blood, was doing her proud and so was I for having raised such a son."

I feel a few tears begin to gather, knowing how those words must have felt to them both.

She continues, "He asked me if I would ever want to reach out to them and after a few days of thought, I agreed. I sent an owl to my Mother and she told me to get back to Prince Manor, and her arms, before she came to me and revealed magic to every Muggle on the street. Keep in mind that I'm paraphrasing as well."

Her words make me laugh, and she joins in, remembering the exact words as she conveys them to me.

Controlling myself I say, "So you went?"

She nods, "We packed up everything, left the house to be re-claimed by the bank and apparated." She smiles as another memory comes to her, "I have never seen my Mother move that fast. She felt our magic and literally came running out of the house and nearly knocked me over with her hug. She looked me over with happiness radiating from every pore, touching my face and kissing my forehead like when I was a child. Then she looked at Severus and I felt like my heart had melted. The softness of her eyes as she saw her grandson for the first time has always stuck with me. She asked him if she could hug him and to my great surprise, her let her."

I smile, "I doubt that she let him go straight away" I comment, looking over to the man in question, now talking with Draco."

She hums and I look back at her, "Right again, she held him so tightly and when my aunt came out spewing nasty comments, she just released him, urged me to stand closer to him and put herself in front of us both" she tells me, before her eyes begin to twinkle. "The language that came out of her mouth would make a sailor blush, to coin a Muggle phrase, she tore my aunt a new one, snarling all the while."

My smile becomes a grin, "A Mama Bear, just like her daughter."

She taps the tip of my nose affectionately, "She didn't want us to ever leave her but knew that Severus had to get back to his Professor. Needless to say, she brought me right back into the family and never let me go."

I hug her again, finally understanding how such an old Pureblood family was able to accept me so easily. It was all thanks to Stella.

She lets me go, "I do believe" she begins, a cheeky look on her face before she uses her wand to project her voice to everyone, "THAT IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO THROW YOUR BOUQUET!"

There's a resounding cheer throughout the ballroom, making me laugh as I nod. I walk up to the little stage, and Mum hands me the flowers with a wink.

I face the quiet crowd and say, "For those that don't know what Eileen means, this is a Muggle tradition. All of the single and unmarried ladies in the room are to stand in front of me and everyone else stands about a metre away from the group. Then I will turn around and throw my bouquet over my head, and the superstition says, that whoever catches it, will be the next to get married, supposedly to the man who catches the garter" I explain, to the now exited crowd.

Sure enough, every single woman, no matter the age stands in a group in front of me, I turn around and they count down from five. At one, I toss the flowers and turn to see Astoria catch them, glee apparent on her face. I laugh and come down to hug her, giving her a wink and making her blush before she gives me back the flowers so I can keep them.

Immediately after Mum takes the bouquet back, Eileen brings a chair for me to sit on and a light blush covers my cheeks. Eileen then explains what is going to happen as I sit.

"Now it's time for the garter toss" she says. "Like with the bouquet toss, all of the single and unmarried men are to stand behind Severus as he kneels in front of Hermione. He is then to remove her garter and toss it over his shoulder. Again, like with the bouquet, whoever catches it is meant to be the next person to get married, to whoever caught the bouquet." She smirks a little as she says, "And I bet that Astoria is willing Draco to catch it."

Astoria blushes but doesn't deny it, causing a ripple of chuckles. Molly raises her hand.

"Yes Molly?" Eileen asks.

Molly hesitates for a moment before saying, "I'm not familiar with this, where exactly is the garter?"

A murmur of agreement goes through the room, a lot coming from those waiting to catch the little thing.

Looking sly, Eileen replies, "Hermione dear, why don't you stand up again and point to where it is?"

Rolling my eyes and smiling I stand and shake my head a little, "My garter" I begin, looking straight at Sev, "Is under my dress, and is around my thigh" I finish, pointing to the spot where the fabric is. A few playful jeers are thrown Severus' way and all the women in the room, Molly, Ginny and even Narcissa included, whistle at me. I laugh and add, "By the way, regardless of who catches it, I want it back."

I give a stern look to the men in question and they all nod so I sit down again. Severus actually winks at me as he kneels by the bottom of my dress. Everyone is in position as his fingers begin to disappear under the fabric, not letting anyone see anything beyond my ankles. He looks at me the entire time and I squeak as he touches a ticklish spot near my knee. He grins as his fingers go higher, finally reaching the garter. He kisses my leg, right where his fingers are before he slowly drags the garter down my leg and taking it off completely. I lean down and kiss him as everyone sees the blue, ruffled fabric.

He pulls away and stands, flicking it over his shoulder before he helps me up, and we look to see that Draco has caught it. His expression is half amused and half unsure.

He looks at us, "No offence but can I give this back now?" he asks, informing everyone that his uncertainty was just from hold what is really a piece of my lingerie.

Severus and I laugh, nodding as Draco flicks it back. Sev catches it easily and puts it in his pocket, drawing me close to kiss me again.

O~O~O

 **Four Months later**

Straight after our honeymoon sees Severus and I back at work at Hogwarts, and we slip back into the roles easily. Thanks to our precautions, 'The Daily Prophet' didn't get a chance to stick its nose into our engagement party, wedding or our honeymoon and so we were peppered with questions by the students when we returned.

On our honeymoon, we went to many different sanctuaries, observing wild hippogriffs and thestrals, swimming with dolphins, sharks, turtles and even dugongs. It was a magical experience, no pun intended, and it was pretty fun to mess with the kids, and dodge their questions.

Having finished all my classes for the day, and of course being up to date with all other work, I decide to go and pay Narcissa a visit, having not had a chance to see her since the wedding. Sev had a chance to see her and Draco last week but I had to stay at Hogwarts after a students' spell backfired. Minerva and I spent the entire weekend undoing the damage. I send an owl to Narcissa and she replies instantly so I send a message to Sev and depart for Black Manor.

O~O~O

Knocking on the door, Winky is the one to greet me, "Good afternoon Miss Hermione, it is being very nice to see you again. Mistress Narcissa is on her way to be greeting you" she says smiling.

I smile back, "Thank you Winky, it's lovely to see you again to. And thank you again for helping with my wedding."

She beams at my praise as she takes my coat and lets me find my own way to Narcissa. I only have to walk into the living room before seeing her coming my way.

She beams at me, "Hello Hermione" she says, drawing me into a hug.

I return it and her greeting, "It's nice to see you Narcissa, I'm sorry I wasn't able to come last weekend."

We part and she waves her hand at me, "We know you couldn't help it, now how have you been?" she asks, leading me to sit beside her on the lounge in front of the fire.

I enjoy the warmth of the fire, "I've been wonderful, glad that Sev and I stayed at Prince Manor straight after the honeymoon so that we weren't ambushed."

She chuckles, "Yes I was relieved to hear that they couldn't get to you both."

"And you Narcissa?" I ask, looking over the older woman. "How have you been?"

She pats my hand, "I'm just fine, and your Mother and Eileen have been sending me many letters."

I smile at that, "I wasn't surprised when you three became close" I remark.

She smiles back, "So what brings you?" she asks curiously. A sheepish look comes over my face and she raises an eyebrow, "Hermione?"

I give her a half shrug, "I wanted to talk to you, since you've known Sev for so long."

Her confusion increases, "Why not speak to Eileen?"

I sigh, "Because she and Mum already know and I had to make them sign an agreement so that they wouldn't tell Sev."

I don't think she could be any more puzzled, "So they know, but couldn't answer your question and so they've been sworn to secrecy because you don't want Severus to know that you asked them about something to do with him?" she clarifies.

I nod, still embarrassed, "You understand me perfectly."

She breathlessly chuckles and shakes her head, "I promise not to tell anyone Hermione, but please tell me what this is all about. What can I tell you about Severus that Eileen can't?"

Now I get nervous, I look away from her and softly confess, "You can tell me whether or not he wants to have kids."

It's dead silent for at least five minutes and when I finally get the guts to look up at her shocked face she says, "Are you pregnant?"

My eyes go wide, "No!" I exclaim, "I thought I might have been but I turned out to be wrong."

She composes herself, understanding in her voice, "Do you want a baby Hermione?" I nod, "But your scared that Severus will not?" she muses to which I, again, nod.

"I really do, I want to have a baby with Sev" I finally say. "But if I become a Mum, I want to be there full-time. I've barely had my job at Hogwarts for two years and I spent ages trying to get that job, I don't know what to do!" I wail.

She wraps an arm around me and soothingly strokes my hair, "Let me guess, Eileen and Sienna where a bit too excited by your statement?" I nod. "And Eileen doesn't think Severus wants to be a father because he doesn't want to be like his own?" again I nod. What is with all my nodding today?

"I had hoped" I begin, "That you might have a slightly better insight since Sev is Draco's Godfather."

She hums and I look up at her, "Well" she says, "First things first, you need to calm down. How about we go and do a little shopping? Then, when your head has been cleared a little, we can talk about this?"

I hear the logic and grasp onto it tightly, "That sounds like a very good idea" I tell her.

She grins and we stand. She writes a note to Severus, saying that she's stealing me away for some girl time and to not expect me back at the castle until eight o'clock. She sends it off by owl, we take our coats from Winky who assures me that my favourite dinner will be served tonight, "As you is needing cheering up Miss." I smile and thank her before we leave.

O~O~O

Narcissa apparates us to a region of clothing stores, "Retail therapy is just what you need, this is the first stop" she tells me.

Over the next four hours, we shop for clothes, shoes, beauty potions and tonics, we even stop to get some books before ending our spree at Honeydukes, where we buy our favourite treats to take home.

O~O~O

"Phew" I remark as we arrive back at Black Manor. "Narcissa, I didn't think anyone was as much a shopaholic as Eileen but you have beaten her easily."

She laughs, "Oh come on, it was fun!" she exclaims, her eyes twinkling brightly.

I grin and nod, "Yes it was" I admit and she winks at me in triumph.

"Now" she says, as we go in the dining room to see our food waiting. She sends a note of thanks to Winky before we sit down, "Back to our original topic of conversation."

I take a deep breath, "Yes" I say. "What are your thoughts?" I ask her as I begin to eat the delicious food.

She finishes her bite, "Well, Severus was always a great role model for Draco when Lucius wasn't around, and even when he was for that matter. He knows how to take care of children and I know that he enjoyed being a part of Draco's upbringing, but he was too scared to even think about having a family of his own."

She lets me absorb the words she's saying and gives me a look that clearly says 'I know you know the rest, so why don't you say it already?'

Taking a sip of my drink I reluctantly finish the thought for her, "But that was then when his status as a double spy meant that any family he had could be used against him. But now, he's happier, no longer stressed or forced to play the spy role. He's opened himself up to me, so why wouldn't he consider the possibility of starting a family?"

She winks again, "Correct, I knew there was a reason that you're called the smartest witch of your age" she comments easily, a teasing tone to her voice. I make a face at her and she laughs again, "In all seriousness" she says. "I think that Severus will have similar concerns to you regarding your position at Hogwarts. I honestly feel that if you talk to Minerva, you will find a perfect solution to your job issue. Perhaps you could perform research or be a consultant to the school?" she offers. "Merlin knows you have the qualifications to do pretty much anything you want, changing your role at the school won't be any different."

Having the obvious stated to me helps my thoughts escape the trapped confinements of my mind, "I've always enjoyed researching" I muse out loud. Narcissa lets me voice my thoughts without interruption, "I suppose that should I become pregnant, I could take on an apprentice, then they would be qualified and ready to take my place by the time I give birth. I could always collaborate with Sev on the transfiguration aspect of potions and the ministry has approached me a few times in regards with doing research for them…"

I get absorbed in my thoughts and Narcissa continues to let me, understanding that I need the time to think.

After a while she softly calls, "Hermione" to regain my attention.

I look at her, "Sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you."

She shakes her head at me, "No matter, have you thought of an idea?" I nod, smiling. "Good, now all you need to do is approach Minerva about it, although I doubt there will be any problems, and everything will be fine."

I sigh in relief, "Thank you Narcissa, I really needed this."

She smiles, "Of course dear" she replies before her voice becomes a little more serious, "But you need to tell Severus."

"I will" I tell her, "As soon as I get back, I promise."

We stand and hug again, before she escorts me to the door. I take my coat, and my many bags of shopping, exchange goodbyes and apparate back to Hogwarts.

O~O~O

Arriving at the gate, at the exact time as was promised, I see Sev waiting for me. I smile, "Hi Sev."

He smiles back at me, which widen when he sees how many bags I have, "Roped into a shopping trip?" he muses.

I poke my tongue out at him, "It was fun and it was nice to see Narcissa again."

He takes some of my bags as we start walking to the castle, "And how is she?" he asks.

"She's good, Draco wasn't there though" I reply.

He looks at me out the corner of his eye, "Why do I feel like you're keeping something from me?"

I pout, "Because you have super spy senses and seem to know me better then I know myself."

He shakes his head at my childish antics and we walk in comfortable silence. Walking past the Great Hall, I hear rather than see that everyone is still eating.

"Not hungry?" I ask him a little worried.

He captures my hand and kisses my knuckles, "I did eat Hermione, I just didn't feel like any dessert" he explains soothingly.

I nod as we enter our chambers, he has never been much of a sweet tooth. I place all my shopping down by my desk, Sev adding the bags he carried to the pile. I use my wand to pile my new books up onto my desk so that I can put them away by hand, handing Severus a few that I found for him.

He smiles, seeing that I managed to find some of the books that he's been looking for, for quite some time now. The silence is relaxing as we place our new books away, but when Sev catches me by the waist and urges me to go towards our little kitchen, I know I can't hide from him anymore.

His stance casually, he asks, "What is it Hermione? You've been distracted."

Chewing on my lip, I summon up my Gryffindor courage, softly confessing, "I want us to have a baby."

I watch his face for any changes but don't find any, making me start to fidget and I begin to ramble. I tell him how I talked to Narcissa and our Mothers, and how I want to be a full-time Mum but I don't want to throw away my transfiguration knowledge or give up learning new things. That I'd take on an apprentice so that there would be someone to take my place once and if a baby does arrive, and that I could do consultant work with the school, be on hand if another transfiguration accident happens since Minerva would have her hands full with other things. That I could take on transfiguration research, within reason of course, as well as telling him anything else that I have come up with.

Eventually I run out of things to say and just stand still, feeling like an idiot. Until I realise that as I was speaking, Severus' expression has steadily become more excited.

Running my fingers through my hair I say, "Can you say something? Please?!"

He wraps me in his arms, rubbing my shoulders, "I want us to have a baby too" he tells me, kissing my hair.

My head shoots up and he just manages to avoid having his chin snapped upwards, "Really?" I squeak.

He nods and I beam, throwing my arms around his shoulders as he lifts me up by my waist and holds me tight.

O~O~O

A few days later finds Sev and I looking through transfiguration apprenticeship applications during lunch, having been given them by Minerva after informing her of our desire to start a family. A round of hugs and wishes of good luck were shared before she said that she would obtain a list for me.

Severus hums as he finishes reading the application in his hand, "How about her?" he inquires.

Putting my teacup down, I take the parchment from him and read it over. The young lady seems familiar, from the slant of her penmanship and choice of words, so I look for her school of choice and smile as my suspicion is confirmed, she's a graduate from Hogwarts. Lillian Wilson, a former Ravenclaw who graduated the year before I took the transfiguration position. I remember seeing her on my visits to the castle and Severus even asked my opinion on one of her potions essays.

Severus takes a sip of his own tea as Crooks jumps up and curls up on his lap, Sev absentmindedly stroking his furry head with one hand.

I look up at him, a good feeling in my stomach, "She looks like just the right person, I'm going to send her an offer after my next class" I tell him, reaching over to scratch Crooks under his chin.

Severus gives me the opportunity to voice my reasons out loud, "Why do you think she'd be a good choice?"

I roll my shoulders and relax into my chair, "I remember you showing me one of her essays that I found impressive, she choice to undertake a wide variety of choices in her seventh year, and has expressed her desire to work upon completion of her apprenticeship" I say lazily, using my wand to fetch the marked homework that I will be returning to my next class.

He nods, "Yes I can contribute to her work ethic, she always seemed to be a Slytherin type of Ravenclaw, never one to back down from a challenge yet smart enough to concede defeat should she be wrong. However saying that, should she be wrong regarding something, I always saw her head towards the Library in order to further educated herself on the subject" he muses to me, Crooks arching his back affectionately before jumping off his lap and heading towards his food.

He give each other a final confirmation nod as we stand to head towards our classes, well Sev does until I grab his hand and pull him back. He looks at me, utterly confused by my actions. I giggle and take out my wand, gesturing to the fact that he is covered in cat fur before I flick my wrist and banish it.

He gives me a kiss, "Thank you." I smile in return before we actually do leave for our classes.

O~O~O

Having my sixth years after lunch isn't too bad for a Wednesday, and they seem to be taking the workload well. I stand from behind my desk as they walk in, greeting them with a smile.

I walk around to stand in front of my desk as they take their seats, "Here is your homework back" I say, returning the scrolls with a lazy wave. "I'm very impressed with the continuing improvements that you're all making, I'm glad that you're taking this class seriously. Now, as career day is approaching, I'm allowing a few minutes before we begin today for any questions that you might have, even if they aren't about transfiguration."

I lean against my desk as about two-thirds of the class raise their hands.

I pick a student at random, "Yes Claire?"

She lowers her hand and asks, "What is the best way to go about applying for an apprenticeship?"

"There isn't really a best way, some people will contact a Master or Mistress of their desired field directly, while others will send out a general application and see if they're contacted before deciding on their options" I explain.

She nods serious before continuing, "Can you give us an example please? Where did you do your apprenticeship?"

I smile at her suggestion, "Of course" I say. "Personally, I completed my apprenticeship under Professor Collins, over in Nottingham and I wrote to him specifically. However, I myself and contemplating taking on an apprentice and have been looking through applications that have sent out in a general fashion."

I nod to Claire to say that she may speak again, "Why not under Professor McGonagall?"

I sigh softy in thought, "I considered it Claire but at that stage, she had already become Headmistress and didn't have an adequate amount of time to take on an apprenticeship. I spoke to her about it and she confirmed my assumption. That was when she gave me the address of Professor Collins and suggested that I send him an application once I had learnt a little more about him, so I did."

She nods in understanding and I call upon a different student, "Yes David?"

"If you want to contact someone directly" he begins, "Is there a way to know if they're looking for an apprentice?"

I shake my head, "No not unless they have been periodically taking on apprentices throughout the years. In that situation, it's best to send a letter inquiring as to if they are looking to take on an apprentice and add on the end, that if they aren't, do they have the name of someone they know who is looking to take on an apprentice" I tell him, before I ask, "Is there someone in particular that you'd like to learn under?"

He nods, "I was hoping to perhaps be a potions apprentice under Professor Snape."

I smile when he has to define the subject, since I'm now the second Professor Snape, "Then why not ask him?"

He shrugs, looking uncertain, "I don't know if he would want an apprentice and I know how much he dislikes students wasting his time."

I hum in thought before chuckling, a playful glint in my eyes that the students don't fail to miss. They look at me curiously, wondering what I'm about to do.

They don't have to wait long, I walk up and stand in front of David. I lean down slightly and look him straight in the eyes, "Are you a Gryffindor?" he nods and I ask surprised, "Really?" I straighten my stance, "Could've fooled me" I drawl, giving him a 'come on, buck up' look.

I walk back to my desk and turn around when I hear David say, "Professor."

"Yes?" I ask, watching with amusement as I and the rest of my class see the determination slowly rise.

"I am a Gryffindor" he states.

I put my hands on my hips and put my weight on one side, "Are you a Gryffindor?" I ask him again.

He straightens a little in his chair, "Yes."

I raise my eyebrows and ask once more, articulating every syllable, "Are. You. A. Gryffindor?"

His spine is dead straight so that his posture is perfect, as he replies in the way I was hoping, "Yes Ma'am!"

I smile and calmly say, "Good to know" before sitting myself behind my desk and observing the amusement of my class. "I think" I say as my students return their attention back to me. "That is would be a good idea for you all to write a letter of application as if you were applying for an apprenticeship. Then, once you've finished, I'll read them for you while you complete your work."

They take out scrolls of parchment instantly and begin writing.

O~O~O

After the practise applications are written, handed up and I've set the work for the lesson, I sit down and begin to read them, particularly David's. I read through them all, marking them and making suggestions while keeping an eye of the time. Just as I knew they would, they finish before the end of class and I give them a sly grin worthy of a Slytherin.

"So" I begin, "I'm going to hand these back" I say gesturing to the applications. "I've made a few suggestions, and I'd like you to re-write them. Think of this as a good copy."

I give them back and set about determining what to set them for homework. I'm essentially getting them to complete a sort of assignment at the moment, and they have a lot of work for their other classes. Not to mention that I'm in a good mood after having finished and sent off my letter of offer to Lillian. Nodding, satisfied with my choice of homework I look up to see that my class has finished again, with ten minutes left of class.

I collect them and say, "Feel free to relax and chat quietly."

They do as I suggest and I re-read the applications, smiling at the effort that they clearly put in. I scribble a little note to Minerva and send it off without them realising and I don't gain their attention until I receive a reply.

I stand and they cease talking, "These are very impressive, considering that you've just written them in class. Did you write them as if you were going to send them?" Every one of them nods and I smile, looking straight at David I give him back his application and tell him, "So go and give it to Professor Snape."

They all stare at me with open mouths and David asks, "Huh?"

"I've already asked the Headmistress" I tell him. "You've fast-tracked some of your classes and have finished them ahead of time. You can start your apprenticeship now and you'll be finished by the time you graduate."

He gulps, "Do you really think Professor Snape would accept my application?" he asks nervously.

"What do you have to lose if he doesn't? You would just apply again next year if you wanted to be his apprentice bad enough" I say honestly and he nods, looking hopeful. I face the rest of the class, "Technically you just completed an assignment so since I'm in a good mood, your homework tonight is to read chapters twelve and thirteen, dismissed."

O~O~O

Later on that night Severus is sitting in front of the fire reading David's application. I come up behind him and wrap my arms around his shoulders, kissing his cheek.

"Is there any mail for me?" I ask him, tilting my head a little so that I can see his face.

He kisses the tip of my nose, "Yes, Crooks is sitting on it."

I smile and walk over to take the envelope from my fuzzy little friend, stroking the backs of his ears before I open it and read the contents. I grin as I read the words in front of me, looking up once I finish and walking back to Sev.

"So?" he asks, "It is from Lillian?"

I nod, "I just found myself an apprentice, she'll be here in a month" I reply, ecstatic.

He hugs me but gets a suspicious look on his face when we pull apart, "Did you have something to do with this?" he asks, referring to the application in his hand.

I shrug and go to make some tea, "He genuinely wants to be your apprentice but didn't know if you even wanted to have one and was trying to find excuses to not write one. My class asked about apprenticeships today and one thing lead to another, and then all of a sudden I decided to get them to write applications as if they were going to send them. I marked them, counted them as an actual assignment, gave them back and had them write a good copy from my suggestions and when I re-read them, more than half were good enough to be sent out, including David's so I said that he should send it to you" I say, choosing my favourite herbal blend of tea.

He chuckles, shaking his head but says, "He shows promise."

I whirl around, "Are you considering it?"

He leans on hip on the side of the counter, "You're not the only one that wants to be a full-time parent." I grin and he continues, "I too have spoken to Minerva and have arranged to have my duties cut back to allow new staff to enter the fray. I would continue to provide all the potions that Poppy needs and my classes will be allocated to three days a week. It'll mean classes back to back but then I can spend the rest of the time at home."

I launch myself at him and he catches me easily as I kiss him soundly, not knowing how else to express how I'm feeling.

O~O~O

 **Four Months Later**

Lillian has settled into her apprenticeship like a mermaid to water. Having had a class just finish, she's standing next to my desk as I'm looking over a few things.

She laughs breathlessly, "That was full on" she remarks, commenting on how the class had gone.

I hum, looking at her, "Yes it was, this particular spell can cause a lot of frustration" I agree before gesturing to a now empty bowl in front of me, "Hence the chocolate." She shakes her head with a smile and I put down my quill. "You're very chipper today" I comment.

She shrugs casually, "I just love the fact that I'm so close to my family" she tells me. "The other option that I was given, would have taken me to America and I wouldn't be able to visit my folks as much."

I nod in understanding, rising from my seat and gathering my things. I gesture for her to do the same and we head towards the staff room, since I agreed to show her how to mark homework. Entering the staff room, we steal an area by the main window, large enough for us to spread out the parchment while still being comfortable. I hand her a scroll and tell her to read it, determine what grade she would give it and why.

I get through three before she gets my attention and says, "Because of the depth of information and general structure, I'd give this an Excellent." I take the offered scroll, and quickly read it and hum uncertainty. "Too much?" she asks.

I nod, "This is more of an Acceptable but don't beat yourself up about it, this student only just misses out on an Excellent. Here" I tell her, handing the scroll back. "Read it again and see if you can tell why."

She nods at me, determination in her eyes as she examines the scroll in more depth, nearly burning a hole in the parchment as she does. I smile gently and shake my head, seeing a bit of myself in her, as cliché as that sounds.

O~O~O

Dinner in the Great Hall that night is an eventful affair. Someone from Slytherin insulted someone from Huffelpuff and so the entire hall is in a shouting match and all us teachers are just watching and eating. It's not until a student yells out an insult that is so pathetic, a rose petal thrown at your face would hurt more, that Lillian loses it and starts guffawing uncontrollably. Her laughter is so loud that every student stops and looks at her, wondering what is so funny.

Madam Hooch chuckles herself and says, "Are you alright dear?"

Lillian nods as she is finally able to calm herself before she addresses the kids, "You guys are hilarious. This fight is so stupid, the insults are pitiful and yet it's been going on for thirty minutes. I mean its dinner and a show!"

The truth in her words causes all the teachers to laugh in agreement and Minerva ends up saying, "The cause of this extended argument is not worth the stress, I know for a fact, that the cloak in question is in the hospital wing, right where it was left."

To their credit, the students look ashamed at having let such a trivial thing go so far, but once it was clear that no house points where going to be taken, quiet conversations we resumed and eating re-commenced.

The teachers all follow suit and nothing really happens for a few minutes until I realise something and pause suddenly, my fork halfway to my mouth.

Since Severus is sitting beside me, he notices straight away, "Everything okay?" he murmurs so that only I can hear.

I nod slowly, murmuring back, "A realisation just came to me but here isn't the place to share it." he smiles in understanding and we resume our meal.

When dessert is served, I giggle softly to myself as more realisations come to my mind and I know that Sev is curious. I can feel his eyes watching everything that I do, trying to figure out what is going on, but I don't think he's worked it out.

Once dessert is done and the plates have gone, the students listen to Minerva give out some final announcements before wishing them goodnight. I stand and chat with Lillian briefly since Sev was stolen away by Minerva.

"I don't think I've ever heard someone laugh that loud" I tell her, amusement coating my voice.

She chuckles silently, "My Mama always told me that I have the lungs of a Hippogriff trapped inside a phoenix's' body."

My eyebrows rise at the mental image she gives me and I wish her goodnight as I notice Sev has been freed.

O~O~O

Once we're back in our chambers, Crooks comes to greet us, wrapping around our legs and stretching upwards. Sev rolls his eyes, picks him up and is rewarded with a fluffy nuzzle and some purring.

I scratch him under his chin, "Are you abandoning me Crooks?" I ask my familiar. He yowls at me and smooches my hand in a clear 'of course not' manner. I smile and coo, "Good to know." I give Sev a kiss for good measure before Persephone catches my attention and I walk over to her.

I take the letter from her beak and stroke her feathers while giving her one of the new owl treats that we bought recently. She nibbles the treat out of my fingers, hoots and takes flight again. I read the front of the envelope and turn to give it to Severus, since it's his name on it.

He takes it with a small smirk and says, "So what was the big revelation at dinner? You couldn't stop giggling."

I give him a coy smile, "My revelation was that I was eating seafood" I tell him. At his confused expression, I look at him from under my eyelashes, "Sev" I begin. "In the time that you've known me, when have I ever eaten seafood unless it was a special occasion?"

I watch him think back and a hopeful look comes over his face, "You think it might be pregnancy cravings?"

I grin and nod excitedly, "I'm guessing that we can brew up a quick potion that will tell me if I am or not, but yes, I do think that it might be."

He wraps me in his arms and kisses me senseless before we rush through a secret door, hidden behind a tapestry that leads straight to his private lab. In a move that I never would have thought Severus would do, he lifts me up by my waist and sits me up on the bench besides his cauldron.

With a smile on his face he collects and prepares the ingredients that he'll need for the potion, while I just sit and watch. There's something hypnotic with how he slices, chops and crushes the elements, before adding them to the simmering caldron with practised ease. A few stirs, wand flicks and a fire poke later and he looks at me.

He just looks at me for a bit, "All we need is a drop of your blood and then we wait for it to simmer for five minutes. Then once it's cool, you can drink it and if a golden circle appears over you abdomen, then you're pregnant but if a white circle appears, then you're not" he explains.

I bite my lip and nod, suddenly feeling nervous as I hold my finger over the caldron so he can prink my finger and allow a drop of blood to fall into the mixture. I suck on my finger, too lazy to press a tissue to it and watch him stir the mixture again. We wait the required time and once it has cooled, he ladles out the needed amount into a goblet and hands it to me. I take it and then a deep breath, raising the goblet to my lips and drinking the cool liquid, licking my lips at the flavour.

He tilts his head at me and takes the now empty goblet, "What did it taste like to you?" he inquires before adding, "It's rumoured to taste different to different people, just like how _amortentia_ smells different to different people."

I smile and hum at the knowledge, "Well" I muse, "To me, it tastes like drinkable caramel."

"That's interesting" he comments, making me roll my eyes and poke his chest with my foot.

Before he can retaliate I look down at my stomach, feeling a warm sensation. We both wait and I gasp as a ring appears above the area that we're both staring at. Tears spring from my eyes and I leap off the bench and into his arms. We latch onto each other, squishing the circle of light between us but the clear golden glow is unmissable.

O~O~O

A few days later and Sev and I are headed to the weekly staff meeting, nervous and excited to tell everyone our news.

We greet and are greeted by everyone, being the last two to arrive and head over to the beverage table. Sev makes a coffee and I take an orange juice, sharing a smirk with my husband as I do, since it's a common thing for me to choose orange juice on the mornings that we have staff meetings so the others are none the wiser. We sit down and Minerva begins.

O~O~O

"Now" Minerva states, after having completed all of the tough business. "For the more enjoyable moment of the meeting, if anyone wishes to comment or share something, now is the time."

Poppy raises her hand and Minerva gestures for her to continue, "Just a quick thing" the maternal nurse says. "I've noticed an increase in uncontrollably vomiting from a few students and I'm pretty sure that Weasley Wizarding products are to blame. The students are losing the half of the sweet that stops the retching, and I'm hoping that a quick note to Mr Weasley may help."

Minerva nods, "I'll send an owl as soon as possible, meanwhile Severus?" she states, "Please make an extra batch of anti-nausea the next time you replenish the stocks."

He nods, "Of course" he replies.

She nods in thanks, "Anyone else?"

I look at Sev and he smiles so I look at the older witch, "I have something, and it'll be quick. I know that we all have places we'd rather be."

Minerva looks at me curiously, "I can assure you Hermione, we are all willing to listen, regardless of if there are other places in which we wish to be."

Smiling gratefully, I look at Lillian and then back to Minerva, "Well, I was hoping that you would allow Lillian to hang around a little longer once her apprenticeship has finished."

Lillian furrows her brow, "Hermione? What are you talking about?"

Severus takes my hand and I beam at him before addressing those in front of us, "I'm pregnant!"

Cheers erupt and Minerva is the first to pull me out of my chair and into an embrace. Both Severus and I are subjected to hugs and congratulations by absolutely everyone for the next ten minutes straight.

Lillian is the last to hug me, "I'm so happy for you!" she exclaims, "When did you find out?"

Beaming I reply, "Last night, we sent owls to both our Mothers this morning so that gives us a few hours before they reply and we are bombarded with demands that we visit."

She laughs, "Well, if I'm able to help once I've completed my apprenticeship, I'm more than happy to hang around for a while."

Minerva appears at her shoulder, "With the progress that you're making, we would love for you to stay on, however it may be longer than you think" she informs the younger woman.

She turns her eyes back to me, "Huh?"

I pat her shoulder, "When this baby comes, I'm going…for good. My job will be being a Mother and any other work will be as a consultant or in research. If you decide to stay, you will be the new transfiguration Mistress" I explain.

Her eyes are wide, "Wow" she breathes before her grin nearly splits her face in two. "That is the most perfect possible outcome for me! You have no idea just how much I was secretly hoping that this would happen."

I chuckle and hug her again, "A win win situation for everyone it seems."

O~O~O

Announcing the pregnancy was as terrifying as it was also exciting. My students are so happy for me, a statement to the 'Prophet' will keep them at bay and we know that they won't be able to do a baby watch on us, since they'd have no chance of getting the pictures they want.

The elves are more than happy to welcome me at all hours, excited to help me curb my cravings. This morning, the craving of choice is peppermint tea and chocolate covered caramel cookies. So when an elf approaches me, saying that Severus is looking for me, I quickly ask that she inform him of my current location. He comes through the door of the Hogwarts kitchen moments later.

He rolls his eyes playfully when he sees the plate in front of me, "I should really start learning to look for you here first from now on."

I blush, sheepish at the sight I must be. "It's not our Mothers again is it? We already spent the weekend there."

He smiles affectionately and sits beside me, thanking an elf that offers him some peppermint tea, "No it isn't our Mothers. Narcissa has invited us for afternoon tea, I was wondering if you'd like to go."

I lean on his shoulder, my hand automatically resting on my still flat stomach, "Of course, I always enjoy seeing Narcissa" I tell him before I silently giggle, "Has Draco proposed yet?"

His own silent laughter joins mine, "Not that I'm aware. Shall we go? I'm sure you can take a few biscuits for the trip." No sooner does the sentence compete, before an elf appears at my side with a little basket, a flask of tea and a bundle of biscuits for me to take, which I do, thanking the sweet elf for their thoughtfulness.

We head out, his arm around my waist as he lets me snuggle into his side. Normally he isn't too comfortable with displays of affection in front of the students but since our announcement, he doesn't seem to mind as much. After all, one icy stare from him and the fear returns even if it is only momentarily. The tea and biscuits are gone by the time we reach Minerva's office, since we're travelling by floo and she gives me a knowing expression as we leave.

O~O~O

Narcissa is waiting for us when we step out of the grate and she wastes no time in pulling us both into her arms.

"I'm so happy for you both, so, so happy" she says in greeting.

We hug her back, "Thank you" we reply in unison.

She beams at us, her eyes glistening, "Oh, Draco and Astoria are here too, they're already in the living room."

We follow her, listening to the many things that she's been up to since we last saw her. It's nice to know that she's keeping herself busy.

Astoria, upon seeing us exclaims, "Hermione!" before coming over and giving me a gentle hug which doesn't match her clear excitement.

"Hello Astoria" I reply happily, "You don't have to hold back you know. I'm pregnant, not made of glass."

She laughs and greets Severus as Draco gives me a tender hug, kissing my cheek as we part, "Congratulations" he says sincerely. I beam in response, touched by his tone. He moves to greet Severus and Astoria encourages me to sit.

Both Astoria and Narcissa look me over for any signs of a baby bump so I roll my eyes and stick out my tongue for good measure.

Astoria nudges my shoulder, "You can't blame us for looking but honestly, you look amazing. You already have that glow about you."

I blush lightly as Narcissa agrees, "Yes you most certainly do, and it suits you Hermione."

"Thanks" is all I manage to say.

Draco saves me by moving the conversation along, "I may get into trouble for asking, but are you planning on learning the sex of the baby?"

I lean into Severus, and he subconsciously helps me tuck myself into his side in a way that is most comfortably for me as he answers, "Personally I'm not fussed either way. It's exciting to not know if the baby is a boy or girl, however, by not knowing, we have opened the doors for twice as much clothes to be bought for us."

I sigh, nodding, "Eileen and Mum have already started, even though they're sticking to neutral colours at the moment."

Narcissa leans forward slightly, "What about you Hermione? Curious about the sex or do you want it to be a surprise?"

I think for a moment, "I don't think I want to know but I already have an idea in my mind."

Draco pours a glass of water and offers it to me which I accept. As he pours one for himself he says, "What do you mean by that?"

I sip the cool drink, "I feel like the baby is a girl, I can't explain why I feel that way, I just do."

Narcissa nods in understanding, "By any chance, when you found out, was it by a potion that Severus brewed for you that required a drop of your blood?" intrigued I nod and she sends a wide smile at me. "That potion is known to make the Mother-to-be feel as though they know the baby's gender and they're always right."

"Huh" I comment, trusting her judgment since I know she'd trained in healing. "Well there you go." I look at Sev, "looks like we're finding out."

He smirks at me, "Because you can't stand the thought that you might be wrong?"

I nod stubbornly, making him chuckle knowingly and Narcissa takes out her wand.

She lays it on her lap, "May I?" she asks, her eyes showing sparkling.

I nod yes, so she speaks a Greek incantation while her wand is directed at me. It's obvious that the wizarding world isn't as advanced as some would have you believe, when a pink cloud of mist accumulates over my belly.

"Congratulations, you're having a girl" Narcissa coos.

O~O~O

Over the next few months, both Severus and I become quite accustomed to several staff members of St Mungo's, all of whom have known Severus from one way or another, be it that they went to Hogwarts together or if he was their Professor at some stage.

It is on one particular morning, just before we head to breakfast, that I stop in my tracks and grin as I see my reflection in the window. Since I haven't put my outer robes on yet, I notice in that I now have a small but noticeable baby bump. Suddenly feeling so excited that there is physical proof of our baby, I run to our bedroom and tackle Sev, making him land on our bed.

The breath momentarily knocked out of him, he remarks, "Hermione" with a slight air of exasperation, but lacking any true irritation, "Any particular reason that you have decided to attack me when we were about to head to breakfast?"

I raise my head, showing my beaming face and move to stand in front of him. He raises his eyebrows slightly and he watches me, trying to figure out what form of craziness my hormones are causing me assume this time. A giggle escapes and I turn in a circle.

"Notice anything new?" I ask, very deliberately standing with my side facing him.

It takes him a few seconds but he eventually realises the slight bulge of my stomach, more so when I frame it with my hands. He stands himself and places his hands on mine and steps closer, tracing patterns with his fingertips with an awed expression. I could never have guessed what he would do next.

Leaning down so that he's on one knee, he presses a kiss to my belly, cradling it like how he sometimes cradles my face and starts talking.

"Hello my little Angel" he murmurs, "I'm your Dad, you need to know that I love you and your Mother so much. You are so loved sweetheart and I cannot wait to meet you."

Tears form in my eyes from his words and once he stands again, I stroke his face and lean into his chest. Wrapping his arms around me, we stay in our embrace for several long moments, only breaking apart when my stomach growls loudly.

I chuckle softly, looking up at Sev and admiring his gentle smile, "Time to feed the baby."

O~O~O

 **Four Months Later**

My due date is only weeks away, and the whole school is buzzing. Many students have told me that they're sad to see me leave the school, but they're happy for me. The sad faces brightened once they knew that Linda would be staying and that I would pop in from time to time to see how everyone was settling in.

I sit in the corner of the classroom, reading a novel as I watch my students. Minerva has officially put me on maternity leave so today is Linda's first try at teaching without my help. Clearly since I'm still in the room, I can help if she needs it but I'm here more for the emotional support since I know she's still a little nervous. The kids are great however, Hogwarts looks after their own and knowing that Linda is a former Ravenclaw helps her gain their respect.

Peaking over the top of my book I see a student just about to hex their neighbour. I glance at Linda and pride fills my heart when she notices instantaneously and takes the appropriate action. The down expression of the students' face at their foiled prank makes me laugh quietly and I see Linda sent me a grateful look at having let her handle everything, to which I give her a small nod in return and turn my attention back to my book.

Absentmindedly I stroke my now obvious protruding stomach, smiling when I feel the kicks, and mentally remarking on how active my daughter is today. Severus and I have been talking about names for a while now and I've really had my heart set on a particular one that I found earlier today, and I'm very much excited to share it with my husband, hoping that he likes it as much as I do.

I feel my back start to stiffen up and I know that I need to walk around for a bit to loosen it again, so I close my book and place it back on the table beside me, right where I found it. I roll my head, sigh gently and try to stand, failing in the process. I shake my head and chuckle, catching the attention of one of my students.

"Are you okay Professor Snape?" she asks me, a hint of worry in her tone. Because of how large I am, pretty much everyone is constantly on high alert, just in case I go into labour.

I smile kindly, "I'm fine, just too round to stand up" I reply.

Linda, having finished writing instructions on the board, smiles at me with twinkling eyes and comes over to me, offering her hands. She nearly laughs at how I concentrate on standing but holds it in, knowing that I've had a few scares over the course of the pregnancy and just holds my left hand while wrapping her other hand around my shoulders to help me support my weight. Slowly she helps me up and it feels nice to be standing again.

"Thank you" I tell her before rolling my eyes. "I can't even see my feet anymore!" She swallows down what I'm sure would have been a giggle and I wave to everyone before leaving, calling out over my shoulder, "Don't laugh at me, I can still turn you all into Flobberworms and no one would know!"

After I leave I quickly peak back inside and see Linda shaking her head in response to something, most likely a student wondering if I was serious in my fake threat or not.

Before I leave I hear her tell the class, "Professor Snape it at the end of her pregnancy, and she won't be around for very much longer. Although she may make jokes about herself regarding her baby bump but the correct response is a smile and then perhaps add on a nice compliment, alright?"

I hum happily and turn and walk down the hallway thinking of just how sweet Linda is and I know that she's going to do a great job, especially since her apprenticeship is almost complete. All she has left is practical experience, which Minerva has assured me that she will oversee when I'm not at the castle. I'll still receive regular updates from all the Professors at Hogwarts who will also be keeping an eye on Linda, but at the end of the day, I'm the one that will have to sign the scroll of parchment to say that she's a fully qualified transfiguration Mistress.

I head carefully down the stairs, knowing all too well just how much they like to change but for yet another time, I'm pleasantly surprised at how the stairs move slower when I'm on them as though the castle is looking out for me which, with the amount of magic that's infused within it, probably isn't too far from the truth.

O~O~O

Arriving in the dungeons, I quietly open the door to Severus' classroom, only entering when I know that the potion that their brewing isn't one that is harmful for me to be around, and lean gently against the brick wall. I watch, the class, smiling when Sev looks up and silently acknowledges that he knows I'm there. The students get a bit of a shock however when they turn to leave the room and see me there. I wink at their gobsmacked faces as they leave, heading towards Severus once he's put away the ingredients he had been using.

"Good class?" I ask him, breaking the silence.

He washes his hands to remove any residue, replying, "Surprisingly yes, usually when I introduce this potion there's at least five explosions, there was only one today."

Walking towards him I hum at his words, "I'm going to admit that I have an ulterior motive for barging into your class."

Quirking an eyebrow at me and drying his hands, "If that's what you call barging then I don't believe you remember how you used to enter my classroom when Weasley had just irritated you beyond belief."

I poke my tongue out at him as I reach to hug him. He wraps his arms around me and I snuggle him as best as I can, huffing when I don't get as close as I want, making him chuckle.

"I'm pretty sure that you're the only one who gets away with laughing at me" I mumble into his shoulder.

I feel the vibrations of another low laugh as he tucks me into his side and places a hand on my belly, "My apologies" he answers, kissing my hair. "So what is this ulterior motive of yours, hmm?"

I look up at him, "I found a name that I really like and I wanted to know how you felt about it."

He leads me to his desk and encourages me to sit, which I do, "Oh?" he inquires. "What is it?" I tell him and he thinks muses over it for a moment before he says, "That's Latin in origin isn't it?"

I nod, "It means strength and health" I add. "What do you think? Is it a good contender to be her name?"

He strokes my hair and says, "I think it's the perfect name, and I doubt that it will lead to any bad nicknames either."

I beam, agreeing, "I was thinking that too. Tina is a good nickname I think, it's not too far from the actual name and it sounds alright."

He nods and helps me stand again, since the school day is over and we agreed to visit the Burrow. Our Mothers will be there too, just to catch up and see how we're going.

O~O~O

We arrive by floo to find everyone already there, the Potters, most of the Weasleys and our Mothers of course.

Mum is the first to spot us, "Oh honey, look at you!" she beams.

I roll my eyes but let her fuss over me, "I think I look the same as when you saw me a week ago." She's still looking over me and then she makes a face, the face that says 'You really haven't noticed?' Frowning at her I say, "What?"

"Hermione, you've dropped" she says, very matter-of-factly.

I take a deep breath, "Oh yes, that, so we weren't imaging" I say to Severus.

We're greeted by everyone else and decide to sit outside to enjoy the sun when Ginny turns to me, a curious look on her face.

"Mione?" she asks.

I look at her, "Yes? What is it?" I answer her.

"I'm just wondering about something your Mum said" she continues.

I guess quickly and offer, "When she said that I've dropped?" She nods and I determine that it mustn't be a term used in the Wizarding word, "It's a Muggle term" I tell her.

Arthur's eyes light up and he excitedly asks, "What does it mean?"

I have everyone's attention by now and I answer, "It's nothing complicated, it just means that my belly has dropped as in literally dropped. It's lower down than what it was before."

Ginny remarks, "Huh, I think I remember that happening to me. So you're getting really close then?"

I nod, "Precisely."

Harry looks at my stomach then, "How close is close?"

I look to Sev, since we have been guessing but I don't get a chance to reply when I feel a sudden release of fluid and I look away from Sev and down to my bump.

Shaking my head I look back up at Sev and he knows instantly so I look back at Harry and say, "Right now, actually."

Everyone jumps into action but Sev is one step closer, he flicks his wand and a patronus is sent. Then he helps me up and leads me to the downstairs bathroom so that I can change my underwear.

Coming back out I feel my first contraction and it takes my breath for a moment, Sev just holds me closer and Molly is waiting at the fireplace with floo powder.

"Off you go now, and we'll see you in a bit" she says, "Good luck."

O~O~O

Arriving at St Mungo's, I lean into Sev and he pauses so that I can ride out another contraction, "Thanks Sev" I tell him.

"Of course" he replies easily.

I look up at him, "No I'm being serious. I can tell that you're as nervous as me, maybe more so because I know how protective you are of me. It means a lot that you're being so calm, it's really helping me."

He stares into my eyes and presses a kiss to my forehead, conveying everything he can't put into words, before he leads me towards the front desk. The Mediwitch recognises us immediately and leads us to the maternity ward. I barely listen to the demands being thrown around the room and I'm happy to see Eileen and Mum come in to help me make sense of everything.

Mum takes charge, with Eileen as her back up and I'm glad she does. Judging be Severus' barely there sigh I know that he's reassured to have them here as well. Mum and Severus help me into a gown as Eileen tells off a young nurse for trying to rush me so much.

I shake my head and laugh breathlessly, but it soon turns into a grunt as I feel a stronger contraction. Severus lifts me, literally, onto the bed and I smile gratefully. Mum holds my other hand and Eileen wipes my head with a soft towel and she tells me that everyone is in the waiting room, as well as Narcissa and Draco. I nod to let her know I heard her but then press my face into Severus' arm and groan again.

O~O~O

Ten hours later and I'm finally handed my beautiful baby girl, in all her screaming glory. At least we know she has a healthy set of lungs. I smile so wide I feel like my face is going to break in two, but I couldn't care less as I kiss my baby for the first time. Severus strokes her cheek and kisses my head, brushing my hair back. I look up at him to see a few tears in his eyes, and we seem to telepathically agree on her name.

Looking down at our daughter, with our Mothers watching on in pride I say, "Welcome to the world Valentina Cissa Snape, we've been waiting for you sweetie." I cradle her closer to me, watching as her cries die down and she blinks her little eyes, and looks up at me and Sev. I whisper to the man beside me with awe, "She has your eyes Sev."

I hear him breathe out and I look up at him as he says, "She's beautiful" before he looks at me and says, "I think she might have your hair."

I laugh happily, "Oh no!" I exclaim, looking down at her to see her watching us both intently. Sure enough, on top of her little head are curls, not quite black but darker than my own caramel hair as well. "Don't worry, I'll help you try and keep it under control." For a few more moments, I'm just captivated by this gorgeous little person in my arms, embracing the overwhelming feeling of love. Once again I look at Severus, "Do you want to hold her?"

He pauses for a moment but gently takes our daughter, tucking her into his arms securely. I practically melt at the sight and the nurses help me clean myself up and change into a fresh gown while the change the sheet of the bed so that I'm a bit more comfortable.

When I'm back on the bed and all the medical staff leaves us alone, Mum and Eileen get a quick turn with Valentina before they give her back to me. Once I'm comfortable, I gesture to Sev to sit next to me, which he does. We hardly notice when our Mothers leave the room to give us time alone as a new family. I sigh and rest my head on Severus' shoulder as he wraps he arms around us both.

We both watch our little girl, taking in everything about her, when she scrunches up her face and starts to fuss. I smile and Sev moves his arms so that I can sit up and breastfeed Valentina for the first time.

I coo at the baby in my arms, "Hungry little darling aren't you?"

Once she's had her fill Sev gently burps her while I re-tie my gown. Feeling a little tired I yawn and once again rest my head on Severus' shoulder, looking at Valentina again.

He carefully moves so that I'm in his arms as well as the baby, "Have a nap Hermione, we'll be here when you wake up."

I kiss his shoulder and softly stroke head of my daughter before letting myself fall asleep.

O~O~O

When I wake up again, I'm alone on the bed hear Sev talking softly to Valentina, over by the little cot.

"I love you so much my darling little girl. I never thought that I would one day become a Father but yet here you are. I promise that nothing will ever happen to you, I won't be anything like my own Father, I swear to you."

I hum and let myself stretch a little, wincing when I remember how sore I am. Hearing me, Severus puts Valentina down and comes over to me.

"Are you alright Hermione?" he asks, helping me sit up.

I give him a tired smile, "I'm fine, just sore. I actually really want to walk around a little, how long was I asleep?"

He sits down next to me, "Only half an hour" he says. "The doctor was here before and said that you can walk around if you'd like, just take it easy."

I nod and he helps me stand, holding me as I walk to the cot that holds our child, never letting me go. After I've seen her for myself and assured myself that she's fine and she's sleeping soundly, Sev and I walk around the room a few times before my legs begin to protest.

"I think that's all I can do, thank you Sev" I tell him, kissing his chin since I can't reach his lips. He helps me sit on the couch by the cot and kisses me properly, resulting in me grinning like a fool. He sits down next to me and I snuggle into his side, as normal. "We should let people see us" I tell him.

He nods and asks, "Is there an order?"

I look up at him, "I really want to see Narcissa and Draco first."

His eyes shine at my words and after kissing me breathless one more time, he stands to go and get them. I smile at his back as he leaves before carefully standing and picking up my baby. I kiss her forehead and sit back down on the couch, rocking my arms slowly.

A quiet knock on the door makes me look up, "Come in" I say.

The door opens and Narcissa and Draco walk in, eyes looking around and then zeroing in on me. Narcissa holds a hand over her mouth and walks forward in a sort of daze, Draco behind her.

She sits next to me and gazes at the bundle in my arms, "Oh Hermione, she's precious" she breathes.

Draco pulls a chair so that he's slightly in front of me and still beside Narcissa before sitting down and saying in an equally awed tone, "She's adorable."

The maternal pride that I project couldn't be any stronger, "Thank you" I tell them, before looking at the door. "Were is Severus?" I ask.

Draco replies as Narcissa can't take her eyes off of Valentina, "He thought you might be hungry so he's getting some food for you."

I nod in thanks and turn my attention to the older witch beside me, "Would you like to hold her?"

Her eyes shoot to mine, "Really? Are you sure?"

I grin, "Absolutely" I say as I pass my daughter into her arms, which form an automatic cradle. Just as my hands are letting go, Severus comes through the door, his eyes soft at just having seen me hand our newborn daughter to Narcissa.

He walks over and sits on my other side, offering me the sandwich that he has. I take it, suddenly noticing how hungry I am and start to eat it, my head on Severus' shoulder. I watch as Draco lightly strokes the thumb of Valentina, and I softly poke Sev. He looks down at me and I motion my head towards Narcissa, and nod at his silent question. He kisses my cheek and turns to his friend and Godson.

His voice smooth and calm, he offers, "Would you like to know her name?" Narcissa and Draco look up and nod in unison so he continues, "Valentina Cissa Snape."

Narcissa's eyes go wide and she whispers, "Cissa?"

She looks at me and I smile, having finished the food and confirm for her, "Yes, her middle name is Cissa, after you."

Not seeming to know what to do, she hands the baby to Severus and then cautiously draws me into a hug. I return the embrace and see out of the corner of my eye that Severus has transferred the newborn to Draco.

When we pull apart she asks, "Why?"

I hold her hands and answer, "Because without your acceptance, Severus and I would have most likely been driven apart. You accepted our relationship, so everyone else did too." She gives me a watery smile and hugs me again.

O~O~O

Everyone else came in two at a time to see us, all cooing and adoring at Valentina. Since I didn't have an epidural, I get to go home today. Severus and I have decided to stay in Prince Manor, seeing as though we practically live there anyway. When we arrived, all the portraits and elves were delighted to have a baby in the house again and were also happy to have Crooks around as well.

Just as planned, Severus had all of his classes moved to three days of the week, while I have the opportunity to move into research when I have the time. Minerva insisted upon meeting our little girl, that Severus takes a few months off and that Draco, who is a qualified potions Master, will teach his classes. Needless to say, she received no complaints.

Everyone who meets our little darling, instantly loves her, a trait that is sweet now but I know will cause Sev a bit of grief once she's older. Draco finally proposed to Astoria and they're planning to get married sometime next year. Astoria has already asked Mum to make her dress for her, to which Mum agreed with a blush on her face.

O~O~O

Having just finished changing, feeding, and burping Valentina, I head back to the main living room with her in my arms. Narcissa, Draco and Astoria are here for lunch, and it's lovely to finally be able to have people over now that Tina (her new nickname has definitely stuck) is set in a routine.

Entering the room, I see our three guests and Sev on the couch, Mum and Eileen have popped out to do some shopping, and they look up as I walk in. I smile and head towards them, gently placing Tina down on the blanket that we've put on the floor, surrounded by some of her plush toys. I sit down beside her and watch her try and grab her feet.

I hear Astoria giggle and I look up, "She's just so cute!" she says, making me beam with happiness. We chat about this and that and I help Tina reach a unicorn plush doll that she was trying to reach.

After a while, Astoria gets my attention again, "How were you able to sort everything out like you did? You found a replacement for your job at Hogwarts, we heard that you were so calm when you went into labour, not to mention everything else, how did you do it?"

I glance at Sev, who has by this point joined me on the floor, and we share a loving look before I look back at Astoria and wink, "Think like me" I tell her. "It'll come to you."

 **Author's note: there you go! The third and final instalment. If there is a particular event that you might like me to elaborate on in a one-shot then please feel free to let me know but keep in mind that it may not happen right away. I hope you guys like it and thank you to all those who have been following this little series. Please let me know what you think in a review or PM, they really do make my day! Until next time, bye!**


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